Terms of Reference (ToR) for A firm to coordinate the Burden of Disease Country Assessment in Ethiopia

Key facts

About the role

Highlights

• TENDER & CONSULTANCY TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)
• ORGANIZATION & PROJECT:
• Organization: Vital Strategies (Data Impact Program)
• Funder: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Assignment Title: Local Coordinating Firm for Burden of Disease (BoD) Country Assessment in Ethiopia
• Place of Performance: Ethiopia (including national entities and select subnational health authorities in three regions)
• PROJECT BACKGROUND & APPROACH:
• Objective: Assess the landscape of Burden of Disease (BoD) estimation efforts and examine how BoD data informs government health policy decisions.
• Methodology: Qualitative, "decision-first" approach executed in two phases:
• Phase 1: Key informant interviews & focus group discussions (MoH policy/planning/M&E divisions, national public health institutes, central programs, subnational authorities).
• Phase 2: Stakeholder validation workshop with participating agencies and technical partners.
• SCOPE OF WORK & RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Ethics & Compliance: Lead IRB application preparation, submission, tracking, and approvals; ensure adherence to Vital Strategies Human Subject Research Policy.
• Contextual Guidance: Work with the qualitative research team to integrate health governance, institutional roles, and political economy factors into the research strategy.
• Fieldwork & Stakeholder Logistics: Conduct outreach to government officials, schedule interviews/FGDs, organize field visits, and coordinate venue/transport/accommodation logistics.
• Operative Support: Manage local interpretation, generate English transcriptions, facilitate workshop sessions, capture detailed notes/summaries, and handle protocol deviations.
• Financial & Reporting: Track expenditures, process vendor invoices, and submit a comprehensive final activity summary report.
• DELIVERABLES:
• IRB application submission and tracking/confirmation of ethics approval.
• Complete execution of qualitative fieldwork (interviews, focus groups, and validation workshop).
• Verbatim English-language transcriptions of all interviews and focus group discussions.
• Final summary report accompanied by session notes and workshop summaries.
• DURATION, TIMELINE & PAYMENT TERMS:
• Start Date: November 1, 2026
• Duration: 6–8 weeks (estimated 30–40 person-days; part-time overall with full-time dedication during field visits).
• Payment Structure: Deliverable-based contract paid in local currency, starting with an initial advance payment followed by milestone installments upon deliverable approval.
• Travel Expense Coverage: Covered separately in accordance with Vital Strategies Ethiopian Office Travel Policy (economy travel, approved hotel accommodations, standard allowances).

Required qualifications

• QUALIFICATIONS, SUPERVISION & APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
• REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:
• Education: Post-graduate degree in public health, epidemiology, demography, or a related field from a recognized university.
• Professional Experience: Minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience preferred.
• Sector Knowledge: Deep understanding of data use for decision-making in the health sector, including institutional challenges and systemic barriers.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Significant track record of engaging senior decision-makers across Ethiopian health sector institutions.
• Technical Expertise: Knowledge of Burden of Disease (BoD) estimation methodologies (global and local approaches) and qualitative research methods is a strong plus.
• Languages: Professional fluency in both English and Amharic (written and oral).
• Software Proficiency: Working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• REPORTING & SUPERVISION:
• Direct Supervisor: Reports directly to the Data Impact Program Country Lead for Ethiopia.
• Key Collaborators: Data Impact Program Country Coordinator for Ethiopia, qualitative data collection team, and participating institutional stakeholders.
• REQUIRED SKILLS:
• Consulting

How to apply